Take Two: Anthony Weiner Returns to Twitter

Twitter and Anthony Weiner are together again.

That’s a combination that invariably will induce snickers, head-shaking and feelings of profound discomfort in many.

The memory is still fresh, after all, of the media firestorm that erupted in May 2011, when the then-Democratic congressman from New York accidentally tweeted a photo of himself in an aroused state to his 45,000 followers, then denied it, then eventually admitted to it before resigning from public service.

VIDEO: Kelly Ripa Debates Mark Consuelos on Anthony Weiner’s NYC Mayoral Run 

As he sets the stage for a political comeback in the form of a potential run for New York City mayor, Weiner, 48, has returned to the scene of his political undoing, launching a new account on the social media service.

So far, @anthonyweiner has issued two tweets. Both contain a link to “Keys to the City,” an online brochure outlining “64 ideas to keep New York the capital of the middle class.”

Weiner and wife Human Abedin, 36, a Hillary Clinton aide, have returned to the public spotlight in recent weeks, a calculated PR onslaught that kicked off with a cover story in the New York Times Magazine in which they both broke their silence about the embarrassing chapter.

Weiner has yet to announce an official run. A recent poll from Marist College, however, found Weiner earned the support of 15 percent of respondents — good enough for second place behind Christine Quinn, who led the pack with 28 percent. Still, celebrity statistician Nate Silver, who has a sterling record in predicting election results, wrote on his Five Thirty Eight blog that the poll numbers aren’t nearly as promising as they seem.

So far, Weiner’s bold foray back into the Twitter wilds has been met, not surprisingly, with jokes. Gossip site Gawker welcomed him back by tweeting him the notorious erection photo.

“Sorry,” Gawker followed in a subsequent tweet. “That was supposed to be a DM.”

Email: seth.abramovitch@thr.com

Twitter: @SethAbramovitch

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